US fears another killing spree as sniper kills three

FEAR stalked West Virginia yesterday after three people were shot dead by a suspected sniper in attacks eerily reminiscent of the killing spree that terrorised the Washington area last year.

The victims appear to have been selected at random by the same shooter, police officers said. All three were gunned down outside grocery shops around Charleston over the last five days.

Each of the victims two men and a woman was killed by a single shot, late at night, and the slugs taken from two of the victims have the same characteristics, police said.